


Coming Home

by SarahisSusan0611



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, The Last of Us Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahisSusan0611/pseuds/SarahisSusan0611
Summary: There's not a day that goes by Ellie didn't think of Dina, and there wasn't a day that went by where Dina didn't think of Ellie.
Kudos: 11





	Coming Home

Ellie was extremely tired by the time she made it back to Jackson, the sun slowly starting to rise as she stumbled towards the large iron gates.  
Her legs gave out in front of her, the gates looming above her almost menacingly, as if they too were trying to keep her out, as if they knew what she had done.

Tyler noticed her as she lay just beyond the gates, and he yelled at the others to open them.  
He came down to carry her himself, her slow breathing came to his relief.  
He pretended to not notice the small bite in the corner of her right hand, and the missing fingers on her left.

He took her straight to the hospital ward, where Maria was already waiting.  
-  
Maria stood over Ellie, her mind rushing with so many thoughts at once that she may too need to lay down, but she stayed strong for this poor broken woman.  
Ellie laid fast asleep, almost calmer to be where she can call home again. 

Maria started to clean Ellie's wounds herself, disinfecting and wiping any stray dried blood. She intently watched Ellie's face, waiting for anything, but Ellie was so tired. She was so tired that she didn't wake until that night, when she felt a very warm and nostalgic sensation on her right hand.

And there was Dina hand in Ellie's once more.  
-  
Maria had one of the doctors come watch Ellie when she left to find Dina. Dina was playing with J.J in the garden of their new home when Maria burst through the gate.

"Dina, there's something serious I need to discuss with you, something you need to hear from me first." Maria explained.

Dina frowned at first, wondering what Maria needed to tell her so early, it was only 9 and they just had breakfast. Yet it was then that when she really looked at Maria's face and saw the worry lines and relieved stature she had.  
She knew before Maria said any word of what was to come.  
Her Ellie came home to her.  
-  
Dina rushed J.J to Jesse's parents as fast as she could, they understood all too well. Before she knew it she was standing outside Ellie's hospital door, her heart hammering in her chest as if she had ran a marathon. 

She hesitated before entering the room, almost as if she was dreaming again of seeing Ellie, so she pinched herself once, then twice, then finally entered the room. 

And there she was, her Ellie, her beautiful, her wonderful, but stupid Ellie.  
After all these long months Dina still loved her all the same, but still so angry for leaving their son, and she will probably always be angry but prone to forgiveness. 

Ellie laid battered and broken, her steady breathing as she slept relieved and terrified Dina all the same. What if it stopped the moment Dina touched her?  
Dina pushed the intrusive thoughts from her mind as she sat beside Ellie then, and hesitantly took her hand once more.

It didn't lose any warmth, she could feel Ellie's heartbeat, she could feel Ellie again. Her Ellie.  
-  
Dina stayed with Ellie for the rest of the day, leaving once to check on J.J and to get herself dinner. Dina came back to Eillie straight away, and took her hand once more. 

Dina didn't realize she was crying for awhile actually, until she felt drying tears on her flannel shirt. She tried to stop then, and got her and Ellie some water as she continued to wait.  
-  
Dina felt Ellie stir later in the night, and felt Ellie squeeze her hand back. Dina felt weightless in that moment, as Ellie slowly opened her eyes to meet hers once more.  
Ellie's face stretched into a small smile, her eyes becoming glassy before she flinched.

"Dina-" She tried to begin.

"I want you to know you hurt us, I want you to know you broke my heart and our son's, I want you to know there wasn't a day that went by when I didn't think of you. And I want you to know I fucking hate that I still love you all the same." Dina interrupted, her heart beating angrily as she struggled with the words.

Ellie flinched again, but nodded slowly as she sat up, her eyes never leaving Dina's.

"Dina, I never stopped loving you or J.J, I never stopped hoping to come back to you, albeit not all in one piece." Ellie joked, slowly reaching up her left hand.

Dina's eyebrows shot up as she gasped, she was there all day and she never noticed that Ellie was missing some fingers.  
Dina grabbed Ellie's hand and studied them. Maria did a good job wrapping them well, but they would need to be changed soon. Her eyes starting to well up with tears again before she hurriedly wiped them away, not wanting Ellie to see her pity. 

She met Ellie's sad eyes once more and noticed the sunken face of once was hers, and saw the tiredness that still lingered. 

Ellie, have you eaten today?" Dina tentatively asked.

"I..I haven't yet no, I haven't eaten since yesterday sometime.." Ellie trailed off.

Dina stood immediately and let go, calling to the other to bring Ellie ice chips and fruit of some kind.

Ellie weakly tried to disagree, saying she'd be fine, but Dina didn't budge.  
Before Ellie knew it Dina was feeding her fresh strawberries and ice chips, the warmth of her kindness radiating through Ellie as Dina continued to do so.

For once in a long time, Ellie kept the food down, before she finally told Dina the news she was scared to tell.  
-  
Her half eaten bowl of strawberries was set beside her on the end table before she began her story.

"Dina, I couldn't do it, I couldn't finish what we started." Ellie said, swallowing nervously.

Dina stared a moment, before smiling at Ellie and placing a reassuring hand in hers. Ellie visibly relaxed and continued.

She was with this boy, and he was injured already, but you could tell she cared for him. So I threatened his life. I made her fight me, I almost killed her but.." Ellie stopped.

Dina motioned her to go on gently, and Ellie swallowed once more.

"I saw Joel, and I saw our last night together. I saw his eyes and his smile and for a second I thought I was right there with him again, and I stopped right then and there. I stopped trying to drown her and I realized that Joel wouldn't have want this. He would do everything in his power to protect me, and I think he did, he protected me from me. From me becoming.. becoming this monster that wouldn't ever live with herself." Ellie stumbled, her eyes wetting with tears as Dina climbed into the hospital bed and cradled her.

Ellie cried a long time after that, and Dina whispered sweet nothings and told her she would never go through it ever again. She told her she did the right thing, and she came back to her and their son. 

Ellie looked up at her, her tears slowly coming to a stop before she leaned up and hesitantly kissed the corner of Dina's mouth. Dina blinked before smiling, and leaning down to kiss Ellie properly, forgiveness radiating through their embrace.

It didn't last long, but when Ellie pulled away Dina followed her lips for a moment, before slowly sitting back properly and sighing contentedly.

Ellie's smile contrasted with the bruises and scratches on her face, the way it still managed to take Dina's breath away at even a glance.  
-  
They laid together that night, sleeping peacefully for once. Dina hadn't slept so well since the last time her and Ellie were together that night. With even all that time apart made her sleep schedule never change, so that she would get maybe 4 hours a night at most. 

She always dreamed of Ellie then.

That night, both her and Ellie slept. With Maria coming in every so often to check up on them.  
-  
That next morning Ellie stirred to the coo of a baby boy, who just starting to form real words. Her heart started beating faster then ever before, as the chubby boy stood on his own at the end of her bed, his small face peeking over as Dina stood beside him, her smile wide. 

Ellie stared at J.J, as he stared right back with his small head to the side, eyebrows furrowed.  
He was grabbing onto the hospital sheets as he pushed and pulled his way around the bed to Ellie's side, as she watched him with teary eyes. 

"Up!" He commanded, reaching for her as he always used to.

She leaned down and picked him up carefully, as he immediately snuggled into her chest, their hearts beating together once more. 

He gripped her shirt as she hugged him, looking over at Dina, their eyes twinkling with a sense of happiness they haven't felt in a long time. 

Dina came to Ellie's free side and snuggled over to their family, their beautiful wonderful family, feeling whole once more.

Ellie would be on a long road of recovery, but she knew that with Dina and J.J, she would have the happiness that Joel once gave her as a father to a daughter. She would become a wife, become a better mother, and a best friend once again. 

And a place, far far away, near the mountains and plains, a small strum of a guitar played in the wind. 

And Joel Miller played for his family once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first story on here! I hope everyone is having a good one :)


End file.
